Type assembly unit for laundry marking machines



Oct. 7,1947. v -A. L. FAUST 2,428,560-

' TYPE ASSEMBLY UNIT FOR LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINES Filed 00%.. 24, 1944 3 Shegts-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

ALEXANDER Lfhusr A T TOR/V5 X Oct. 7, 1947. A. 1 FAUST. 2,428,560 4 TYPE ASSEMBLY UNIT FOR LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINES Filed 001;. 24, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllll Tllll llllllll INVEN TOR. ALEXANDERL Fin/5r A T TOR/V5 X Oct. 7, 194-7. FAUsT 1 2,428,56Q

-TYPE ASSEMBLY UNIT FOR LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 24, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. A 4 EXA/VDL'R L. f (/57 A T TOR/V5 X Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNITED TYPE ASSEMBLY UNIT FOR. LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINES Alexander L. Faust, New York, N. Y.

Application October 24, 1944, Serial No. 560,165

11 Claims. 1

The invention relates to the art of fabric marking, for example as used in the identification of articles of laundry. More particularly the invention relates to a machine having a type assembly or head for applying to the goods, by printing or by impressing thereon, suitable identifying characters or marks either with visible or invisible ink, being particularly adapted for the use of the latter ink in that the head may accommodate largesize type.

The novel machine is designed to utilize type wheels, and the invention has for an object to provide a manually operated machine of this nature which shall be of simple and relatively inexpensive construction and ready assembly, with a consequent low cost of mechanical maintenance; also, to enable operation by unskilled labor due to its novel manual typesetting arrangement.

A further object is to provide means whereby the machine may readily be cleared or reset to a zero position after completion of the desired printings with a selected set of characters.

In carrying out the invention, provision is made for mounting the novel head or type-wheel assembly on the printing carriage of a suitable press in such a manner that it may be conveniently bodily removed therefrom, if desired. To this end, independently rotatable type-wheel members are mounted on a shaft which is supported for angular adjustment in the printing carriage. These members or type-bearing wheels are disposed axially along the said shaft, the latter being provided with end knobs beyond the shaft support or bearings of the printing carriage for manual rotation of the shaft in its bearings. Normally, rotation of the shaft is prevented by means such as a suitable detent which may be manually retracted when it is desired to effect the rotation of said shaft.

Each of the type wheels is in the nature of an annulus having the type formed on the outer periphery of said annulus with adjacent peripheral notches or ratchet teeth along one edge of the periphery for advancing a type wheel. The inner periphery of a wheel is notched correspondingly to the disposition of the type over the outer periphery, the notches being designed to be engaged by a ball or like detent operating radially from a drum mounted on the shaft and located within the respective annular type wheels. These wheels are designed to rotate on corresponding drums which, in turn, are frictionally held or keyed to the shaft against relative rotation. Between adjacent type wheels, as well as adjacently one of the end type wheels, are oscillatably mounted arms or setting means for the respective type wheels, each arm carrying a pawl element adapted for engagement with the ratchet teeth of a corresponding type wheel to advance the same in setting .up a desired printing character, provision Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the novel head, and

Fig. 3 is a rear View thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the novel head, on an enlarged scale, with cover of housing removed; and Fig. 5'is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 55, Fig. 4, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the head taken on the line 6t, Fig. 4 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

i Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the novel head and mounting bearings therefor.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating the action of the pawl release and the locking detent for a type wheel.

Referring to the drawings, the novel marking head is designed to be removably mounted in'a rockable printing frame comprising the two levers I0 mounted upon uprights II, which latter are supported on a base plate [2 which carries also a standard l3 for a platen member is whereon the goods to be marked are impressed with the desired characters of the marking head, as is well understood and as is shown, for example, in my copending application Serial #446,801, filed June 12, 1942, which has matured into Patent No. 2,370,152. An inking member I5 is pivoted to the forward end of the levers l0 and is designed for contact with the type or characters of the marking head, operating in Well-known manner to clear the type before the latter descends for contact with the material on the platen It, for example, as set forth in my aforesaid application.

The novel head is conveniently mounted upon the levers ID at their respective outer ends by Means are further provided means of brackets or hearing blocks which may be secured by bolts 2| to the respective upper surfaces of the said levers so as to admit of convenient removal of a head for replacement or repair. Laterally-directed bolt 22 passing through the bracket serve to secure side-plates or Walls 23 of a housing for the marking members and adjusting mechanism therefor hereinafter set forth.

The brackets afford bearings for a horizontally disposed shaft 24 having intermediate bushings 25 at the respective outer ends of said shaft, which is reduced in diameter at said ends and the reduced portions 26 threaded, as indicated. These threaded portions receive respective knobs 21 designed to shoulder at the inner end against the outer end of a corresponding bushing 25, the in.-

' also'keyed to the shaft. The slot is designed to receive then a locking pin 30 which may be slidably mounted within a tube 3| screwed into and extending upwardly from the corresponding bearing, said rod being at its outer end provided beyond the outer end'of the tube with a knob 32 for manually retracting the pin 30 When it is desired'to rotate the shaft 24, the pin30 then riding on the bushing upon turning the shaft.

pin or screw 33 extending laterally from the tube into a slot 34 of the wall 23 limits the move-.

ment of pin 30 vertically. The rotation of shaft 24 is effected by manually rotating a knob or knobs 2'! which, after having initially shifted the bushings along the shaft to the desired extent, are fixed to the respective reducedportionsof said shaft by suitable set screws.

By means of the locking pin 39 the shaft is normally secured against rotation in its bearings, that is to say, during the settingup of the desired marking characters and the printings with the same, being released for rotation only when it is desired to clear the marking characters to provide a new set preparatory to further printings therefrom.

Within the housing and keyed to the shaft 24' there is provided a plurality of drums 35 Which are arranged longitudinally along the shaft and to contact each other through hubs 35 projecting a slight distance beyond the plane of one of the faces of a drum. In the case of one of the end drums, its opposite face is provided with a flange, as indicated at 37, against which bears the inner end of the corresponding bushing 25,

drawn together to clamp and unite thereby alli of the drums into a unitary member to properly.

locate the same, the hub portions providing also for intermediate annular spaces 39 within which are mounted the actuating members, as herein-;

after set forth. While the drum structure here- .inbefore described is shown as embodying a plurality of individual drum members, it will be appreciated that this structure maybe constituted in a clockwise direction, whereby an annuluswill be carried along with its drum; through'the ball detent connection, until a locking detent 52 thereof is brought into'holding' engagement with the sleeve 65 tomaintain said pawl temporarily. in disengaged position until a wheel i gain' as a single drum having the intermediate annular spaces provided therein.

About each of the drums is mounted for rotation thereon type bearing members such as an annulus or type wheel 45 bearing on its outer periphery the desired printing characters 46 which are arranged circumferentially around the same in the desired sequence. Around the inner periphery of the annulus are provided notches 41 spaced to conform .to the characters 46 on the outer periphery and designed to be engaged by spring- .urged means such as the ball detent 48 extend- ,ing radially from the corresponding drum; An

annulus v i5'bears also ratchet teeth 50 arranged circularly along one edge of its outer periphery and a single reset recess 5|, which is of a length greater than the space between two successive ratchet teeth and is designed to be engaged by a spring-drawn detent 52 to lock the annulus in between two successive ratchet teeth 50to fitfa recess 5 I.

To advance. an annulus, thereis rockably mounted, as for example upon the corresponding hub of the associated drum, in the adjacent annular space 39, an arm or key 55 bearing a springdrawn pawl 55 for engagingthe corresponding ratchet teeth of the particular associated annulus. By this expedient, a desired marking char.

acter 45 may be advanced so as to appear at the lower portion of the head, as indicatedin 3 of the drawings; and corresponding characters 5'! of smaller dimensions and flush with the periph! cry of the annulus are displaced along the. circumference of the annulus'to an extent such that the reduced and indicating characters may appear through Windows Bil provided in the cover 6| of the housing. This cover also is provided with a series of parallel slots 62 through which pass the arms 55 .of the respective actuating means'for the different annular members. in cleaning the marking characters, a portion 63 of the housing maybe separate from the re= mainder and hinged to the side plates 23 include ing a wing nut 54! so as to be capable of beingdrop-ped and to afford ready access to the mark ing characters.

In order to secure a V acters, this may be accomplished simultaneously for all of the different annular members merely by rotating the shaft 24, in the present instance drops into a corresponding recess 5!; Fig. 8. ,In

returning to this position, an advanced pawl;

arm in approaching the detent will cause the rear end of the pawl to cam against a horizontally disposed rod, or preferably a rotatable sleeve 65, through its edge 65. This causes the partic ular pawl to be thrown out of engagement with its ratchet teeth so thatrotationof the shaft, may be continued until all of the type wheels the rear end of the pawl through a notch 6.1

For conveniencenew setting of the char- I actuated in setting up a new marking character.

The particular drum will continue to slide past its associated annulus and rotation of the drums is continued until all of the annular members have been returned to a position for locking them through engagement of their recesses by the corresponding locking detent. This zero or reset position is the one from which a new setting or selection of characters is made as by actuating the proper arms 55, an annulus riding freely over detent 52 as the rotation is then in a counterclockwise direction.

I claim:

1. A marking unit for a laundry-marking machine, comprising a shaft, means to support rotatably said shaft at its opposite ends, cylindrical means supported by the shaft for rotation therewith, retractable means to lock the shaft to its support means to restain its rotational movement, annular type-bearing means rotatably carried on the cylindrical means, the latter including yieldable means for holding the type-bearing means thereto, means rockable about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical means and mounted adjacently the respective annular type-bearing means for engagement therewith for advancing the same angularly and relatively to the cylindrical means, and reset means for the type-bearing means actuated from the shaft upon rotating the same in a direction opposite the advancing movement of the typebearing means.

2. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein a supporting means is radially bored to receive a locking pin adapted to prevent rotation of the shaft.

3. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein a supporting means is radially bored to receive a locking pin and bushings fit both of the supporting means, one of said bushings having an elongated slot adapted to receive the locking pin.

4. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical means comprises a plurality of drums keyed to the shaft and axially disposed along the same.

5. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical means comprises a plurality of drums keyed to the shaft and axially disposed along the same, and bushings fitting the supporting means include between their inner ends said drums, their outer ends being engaged by the inner ends of knobs threaded upon opposite ends of the shaft.

6. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical means comprises a plurality of drums keyed to the shaft, axially disposed along the same, and having hubs respectively projecting slightly beyond the plane of one face of a drum.

'7. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the annular type-bearing means bears ratchet teeth adapted for engagement by rockable pawl means including a radially projecting arm for actuating the pawl.

8. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the annular type-bearing means bears ratchet teeth adapted for engagement by rockable pawl means including a radially projecting arm for actuating the pawl, a housing being provided over the unit having slots directed over the type-bearing means through which the actuating arm of a means projects.

9. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the reset means includes a spring-urged detent adapted for engagement in a recess of a typebearing means upon rotation of the shaft.

10. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the annular type-bearing means bear ratchet teeth for engagement by rockable pawl means including a radially projecting arm for actuating a pawl thereof, and means are provided to disengage automatically and temporarily a pawl from its ratchet teeth at one limit of the rocking movement of the projecting arm.

11. The marking unit of claim 1, wherein the annular type-bearing means bear ratchet teeth for engagement by rockable pawl means including a radially projecting arm for actuating a pawl thereof, and means are provided to disengage automatically and temporarily a pawl from its ratchet teeth at one limit of the rocking movement of the projecting arm, said disengaging means comprising a rod located at right angles to the plane of oscillation of a rockable pawl means to engage a recess of the pawl thereof.

ALEXANDER L. FAUST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 920,533 Bradley May 4, 1909 1,798,455 Cartson Mar. 31, 1931 1,968,900 Naugler Aug. 7, 1934 1,993,461 Stiegler Mar. 5, 1935 1,868,997 Speicher July 26, 1932 

